8.3/10
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734 user 172 critic

Good Will Hunting (1997)

R | | Drama | 9 January 1998 (USA)
Will Hunting, a janitor at M.I.T., has a gift for mathematics, but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life.

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387 ( 66)

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Top Rated Movies #103 | Won 2 Oscars. Another 22 wins & 55 nominations. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
John Mighton ...
Tom
Rachel Majorowski ...
Krystyn
Colleen McCauley ...
...
...
...
Barbershop Quartet #1
Ralph St. George ...
Barbershop Quartet #2
Rob Lynds ...
Barbershop Quartet #3
Dan Washington ...
Barbershop Quartet #4
...
M.I.T. Student
Derrick Bridgeman ...
M.I.T. Student
...
M.I.T. Student (as Vic Sahay)
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Storyline

A touching tale of a wayward young man who struggles to find his identity, living in a world where he can solve any problem, except the one brewing deep within himself, until one day he meets his soul mate who opens his mind and his heart. Written by Dima & Danielle

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Some people can never believe in themselves, until someone believes in them. See more »

Genres:

Drama

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language, including some sex-related dialogue | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

|

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

9 January 1998 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Will Hunting  »

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Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$272,912, 7 December 1997, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$138,433,435

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$225,933,435
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

An earlier draft of the script had Will Hunting being recruited by the government to become a cryptanalyst (based on his mathematical ability). Rob Reiner reportedly reviewed the script and advised Matt Damon and Ben Affleck to eliminate this subplot. However, there is a reference to it in the final script: the scene where Will meets with N.S.A. Agents, and explains why he doesn't want to work for them. See more »

Goofs

Skylar's dorm room bulletin board has two British flags, one on either side of the Harvard banner.The one on the left is upside down. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Lambeau: Mod fx... squared... dx. So please finish Parceval, by next time. I know many of you had this as undergraduates, but it won't hurt to brush up.
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Crazy Credits

At the end of the credits, the film is dedicated to the memory of poet Allen Ginsberg and writer William S. Burroughs, both of whom died in 1997. See more »

Connections

Featured in Honest Trailers: The Martian (2016) See more »

Soundtracks

Boys Better
Written by Courtney Taylor-Taylor (as Courtney Taylor)
Performed by The Dandy Warhols
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User Reviews

The Real Best Picture of 1997
18 June 2000 | by See all my reviews

While everyone took sides with L.A. Confidential (for it's Old Hollywood flair and tight-as-a-girdle plot arc) or Titanic (for it's generally inescapable, juggernaut-like aura) as the Best Picture of 1997, it seems that too many people overlook Good Will Hunting for what it was: a timeless little opus that managed to make South Boston look romantic and happened to make Ben Affleck and Matt Damon some of the most deserving superstars in recent memory.

Because before they were anybody, they were just the writers of this tale of a reluctant human being named Will Hunting, a mathematical genius who wore the guise of a hoodlum, and all of the sudden obstacles he had to take on to truly step in to manhood. Among these obstacles were a straight-forward shrink who outright dared Will to bulls*** him (played by Robin Williams, who got his overdue Oscar for it), a brilliant M.I.T. professor who felt it his own personal redemption to put Will's mind to great use somehow (Stellan Skarsgård, who never fails to steal nearly every scene he's in), and a girl who doesn't understand why the boy she loves so much cannot love her.

It was these obstacles that made Will Hunting such a complex character: while he was a genius at the definite (math), he was a bit of a moron at the indefinite (human relationships). His rough-edged exterior was simply a cry for help, and the process of which the obstacles in his life realized that and attempted *to* help him was nothing short of extraordinarily touching.


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